Greetings to all, 

This is just a quick end of year newsgram to fill everybody in our what’s happening here at Against the Odds, plus mention a special offer for something “nautical, but nice” in effect through the end of year. More on that later in this note.

John Prados Contest Announcement:

We've learned that our commentator John Prados is holding a contest to solicit your favorite stories about game designers. They may concern casual gaming, playtesting, personal encounters, or any type of game show. The stories that best supplement his own recollections of these characters will be incorporated in a series of occasional “Simulation Corner” columns in the magazine Against the Odds. Stories may also appear in posts on his website. The best story will be rewarded by a free ATO game of his design sent to you, the exact title depending on what he has available and the winner and he agree upon. John says he shall endeavor to get you the game you desire by Christmas. Enter by going to John's website, www.johnprados.com and going to the “Comment” feature, and leaving a message. Only one entry per message, please. Your entry will constitute permission to quote from your account for publication purposes. John shall be the sole judge of the best story entries. All entries must be received by 11:59 PM on December 15, 2014. The winner will be announced on John's website the following week. Enter early and often.

The Upcoming ATO Issue:

Our next release, Against the Odds #43, is beginning to go the printer. Inside this issue are TWO separate solitaire games in a package called Islands of the Damned.

The first game in the package, Given Up for Dead covers Wake Island and the second, Utmost Savagery takes on the less-known invasion of Peleliu. Designer Steven Cunliffe tackles both battles with innovative systems that challenges the player to mix boldness with good tactics. You must gain objectives but minimize casualties...as the historical commanders would have liked to do. Here’s a look at some of the counter art for this game:

You will be commanding the invasion forces in each game, challenged with doing far better than the historical outcomes. Can you save most of your troops from the Islands of the Damned? You can read more about this issue here at our website.

But Up Next…

…will actually be the set of four games from our sister division, Turning Point Simulations. Each of these features a hard mounted map, a small playing area (fits on a kitchen table!) and easy to play rules that get you up and gaming quickly. The four for this year are:

The Victory of Arminius: It was supposed to be easy. In 9 AD, when several days of battle were over, somewhere between 15-20,000 Roman soldiers were dead - three full legions had disappeared from the roles (and would not be reconstituted!). Roman retaliation would be terrible and prolonged, but the Empire never again tried to settle the land east of the Rhine. Find out what went wrong with this exciting game by John Prados.